Securing an Interview: As hard as claiming the Iron Throne?

Emer McCann

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Securing an Interview: As hard as claiming the Iron Throne?

Emer McCann, Talent Acquisition ManagerJuly 24, 2017

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A Game of Thrones Guide to Creating a Killer Resume

Sick of applying for roles and not hearing back? Or maybe you’re just frustrated with applying for roles in general? Fear not! We have put together the golden guide to help you stand out from the pack, and get you that interview faster than you can say HOLD THE DOOR.

1. Keep it simple

Your resume should be clear and to the point. The recruiter should be able to gain all the key information about you after skimming through the first page. Be wary of wasting valuable space with bad formatting, personal details taking up half the page or generic skills. Your resume should never read like an essay – so writing the most efficient sentences is vital.

2. Objective/ Suitability for the Role

This is the 10% of your resume where you get to really sell yourself. Briefly summarise your experience in a way that speaks exactly to the role you are applying for. Make it clear to see why the recruiter should want to hire YOU.

3. Skills – “Words are wind” (Actions Speak Stronger than Words)

In the second 10% of your resume, explain how your experience has been defined. While it’s important to include a list of your skills, listing the industries and companies you have gained those skills in is a great way to show a snapshot of your background.

While skills like ‘team-player’ and ‘strong attention to detail’ are nearly always desired, it is always better to demonstrate these traits through achievements throughout your resume rather than a list. Listing skills doesn’t prove that you have them – paint the picture and save that space!

4. Education

Whether you went to school in Winterfell or Kings Landing, nobody wants to know the date you started your degree or the full address of your campus – the date you graduated and the city or country will usually suffice. You are better off filling this valuable 10% of your resume with any notable awards and achievements and/or your final grade.

5. Employment History

This section should occupy the dragons share of your resume – taking up about 60 %.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of your resume is the achievements you include in this section. Where did you go above and beyond in your role? Make the answer to this simple, clear and concise. Keeping each point to one line, paint a picture of the kind of worker you are. You want an interviewer to notice them at a glance and then dive into these in more detail in the interview.

Adjust your previous responsibilities to match the role you are applying for, bearing in mind that recruiters barely read past the first 1-2 bullet points at first glance (i.e. Mother of Dragons should come before Daughter of Aerys).

Adding numerous responsibilities for the sake of it is not a good tactic either – remember wasting space with information that isn’t relevant will not serve you well in your quest.

6. Hobbies and Interests

In the final 10% of your resume, it’s your time to let your character and personality shine through. Having been involved in external activities is a great way to show that you have initiative, drive, motivation, teamwork and leadership. This is especially important for recent graduates who haven’t had the chance to prove themselves in a professional environment yet.

7. The Final Frontier

It’s almost time to send your raven out with the best resume ever – however there is one last box to tick! Your formatting should be flawless – think about the font type, size, and consistent heading tabs and underlines throughout your resume. While Daenerys prefers Calibri, Size 10 or 12, there are no hard and fast rules about the best font to use – as long as it is readable for both screen and print. Unless you want to show the recruiter that you know less than Jon Snow, it goes without saying that your resume should also be free of spelling errors and use correct grammar – if you don’t have a King’s Hand to check it over, Grammarly can be a great help!

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